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In The Know is your daily briefing on Oklahoma policy-related news. OK Policy encourages the support of Oklahoma’s state and local media, which are vital to an informed citizenry. Inclusion of a story does not necessarily mean endorsement by the Oklahoma Policy Institute. Some stories included here are behind paywall or require subscription. Subscribe to In The Know and see past editions.
New from OK Policy
Policy Matters: Oklahomans can vote with confidence: Before Oklahomans decide who and what to vote for on Nov. 3, there is an earlier decision to make: Are you ready to vote? You can register or update your registration until 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9. If you plan to vote by mail, request your absentee ballot by Oct. 19. Early voting runs Oct. 28–31, and polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Those deadlines matter because democracy depends on participation. But meaningful participation also requires confidence in the process. [Shiloh Kantz / The Journal Record]
Oklahoma News
State Question 847: What Oklahoma Voters Need to Know Before Nov. 3: Oklahoma lawmakers were getting an earful from constituents about rising homeownership costs, including property taxes. In response, Republican legislative leaders filed a constitutional amendment to reduce how much a property’s assessed value, used to calculate property taxes, can increase each year. Oklahoma voters will see the proposal, via State Question 847, on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. [Oklahoma Watch]
- School Boards Association warns members of tax cap question [Tulsa World]
- From OK Policy: SQ 847 Fact Sheet | SQ 847 Explainer Video
- Register for OK Policy’s Oct. 20 town hall on SQ 845, SQ 847
ACLU expresses concerns over conditions at Watonga immigration detention center: Conditions at a former private prison in Oklahoma being used to house illegal immigrants were described as deplorable and abusive in a letter sent recently to the Department of Homeland Security by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups, including several from Tulsa. [Tulsa World]
State Government News
Defamation suit against Ryan Walters can advance, Oklahoma court rules: A former Bixby superintendent can continue his lawsuit against former state Superintendent Ryan Walters for slander after the Oklahoma Supreme Court denied the conservative firebrand’s motion to dismiss the case. [The Oklahoman]
Lawmakers consider introducing recording to Oklahoma courtrooms to assist operations: Lawmakers on Wednesday discussed taking another stab at modernizing Oklahoma courtrooms by introducing audio and visual recording technology. [Oklahoma Voice]
- Cameras in courtrooms may come to be in Oklahoma, but not for the general public [KOSU]
Oklahoma lawmakers could rethink state sex offender registry: An Oklahoma legislative committee is rethinking the state’s Sex Offender Registry after hearing from experts and advocates about how indiscriminate restrictions in state law are negatively impacting victims in unforeseen ways. [The Oklahoman]
Regulators say they need a better way to track Oklahoma marijuana grows: Leaders of Oklahoma’s drug enforcement agency say they need a statewide database to track compliance and enforcement of marijuana grow sites. [The Oklahoman]
Long Story Short: Marijuana Facility Safety, Winter Storm Lawsuits and The Vesta Saga (podcast): A breakdown of the inspection process at Oklahoma marijuana processing facilities following a fatal explosion in Sand Springs, along with major updates on state lawsuits over massive natural gas price spikes during the 2021 winter storm. Plus, the latest developments in the ongoing Vesta Realty saga. [Oklahoma Watch]
Federal Government News
Documents show DHS probed nonprofits, obtained millions of records in hunt for noncitizen voters: The Department of Homeland Security obtained tens of millions of unspecified records as part of a sweeping nationwide effort to find voter fraud, according to internal DHS reports, and weighed using undercover agents to investigate voter registration efforts by nonprofit groups. [Oklahoma Voice]
Tribal Nations News
Indigenous Peoples’ Day is October 12. Here’s where you can celebrate in Oklahoma: Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the lasting legacy of the first people of Turtle Island and uplifts their stories, which continue to weave into the fabric of the U.S. today. [KOSU]
Voting and Election News
Election Roundup
- Don’t forget Oklahoma’s Friday deadline to get registered to vote Nov. 3 [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- Mike Mazzei and Cyndi Munson debated. We checked the facts [The Frontier]
- OKC church invited all governor hopefuls to election forum. Only one came [The Oklahoman]
- Want to meet Oklahoma candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot? Bring your questions to this free forum. [Tulsa Flyer]
- Democracy Watch: Previewing Oklahoma’s Attorney General Race [Oklahoma Watch]
- Labor commissioner candidates to tackle ‘red tape,’ Oklahoma inspector shortages [Oklahoma Voice]
Opinion: OK’s one-party rule has failed. Voters should demand better: Oklahoma does not have to settle for last place. We are a state of builders, teachers, veterans, entrepreneurs, farmers, energy workers, caregivers and neighbors who know how to solve hard problems. We should expect a government that matches that character: practical, honest, competent and focused on results. That is why Oklahoma voters must take a hard look at whether one-party control is delivering for our children, our families and our future. [Greg Hodgen / The Oklahoman]
Health News
A rural Northwest Oklahoma hospital is bringing back maternity care. Can it survive healthcare cuts?: Today, only 27% of Oklahoma’s rural hospitals offer labor and delivery services amid workforce shortages and financial pressures. In 2024, about half of Oklahoma’s counties had zero obstetric clinicians. And according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, payments from private insurance plans and Medicaid programs often don’t cover the cost of delivering safe, high-quality maternity care. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KGOU]
Opinion: Doctors know how to treat ectopic pregnancy in Oklahoma. So why are patients still dying?: An ectopic pregnancy is not supposed to be a death sentence. As an emergency physician, I know exactly what is at stake when a patient comes into the ER with one. An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a pregnancy implants somewhere it can not grow safely, usually in a fallopian tube. If it continues to grow, the tube can rupture and cause catastrophic internal bleeding. We know what to look for. We know how to treat it. And when we act in time, patients survive. [Dara Kass / Oklahoma Voice]
Justice System News
Oklahoma County voters urged to vote for sales tax for new jail campus: Oklahoma County voters will decide whether to keep the old jail downtown or finance a national “showcase” criminal justice campus, at 1901 E Grand in the county sales tax election on Nov. 3. [The Oklahoman]
Eye on Oklahoma: Arrested for Unpaid Court Costs (video): Records from Caddo County show more than 140 cost-arrest bookings as lawmakers work to determine how widespread the practice is. [Oklahoma Watch]
Housing & Economic Opportunity News
West Haven Flats breaks ground: 132 workforce housing units for OKC: Dirt is moving at the latest workforce housing site, West Haven Flats in Oklahoma City, a 132-unit community in the southwest metro backed by MAPS 4 funding, state tax credits and multifamily bonds. [The Oklahoman]
Economy & Business News
Oklahoma City data center campus invests in off-grid power plant: Scale Datacenter, which launched two years ago, is reusing buildings for its operations on the former Chesapeake Energy campus in Oklahoma City. [StateImpact Oklahoma via KOSU]
Oklahoma officials are looking to ease diesel costs. How much relief can farmers expect?: Diesel costs are high and Oklahoma officials are trying to cushion the price punch through softening rules around off-road diesel. How soft is this cushion? [KOSU]
Local Headlines
- Tulsa Police, local service provider combining forces to take down human trafficking [Tulsa World]
- $200M Peak at Parkway project aims to reshape north Tulsa [The Oklahoma Eagle]
- OKC leaders to decide on infrastructure upgrades for Buc-ee’s [KFOR]
Quote of the Day
“Oklahoma voters do not owe any party permanent loyalty. We owe our children schools that prepare them, families a health system that serves them, and communities a government that spends less time managing failure and more time preventing it.”
– Greg Hodgen, CEO of Groendyke Transport Inc., writing about why Oklahomans should evaluate their elected leaders based on results rather than political affiliation. [The Oklahoman]
Number of the Day
77%
The share of registered voters who expressed concern about artificial intelligence being used to spread misinformation or influence public opinion ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, according to a recent survey. AI-related misinformation was the most widely reported election concern, with the same percentage of voters expressing concern in 2024. [Bipartisan Policy Center]
Policy Note
What Voters Think Ahead of the 2026 Midterms: Election Information, Confidence, and Concerns: A new survey from the Bipartisan Policy Center and Morning Consult examined where voters get election information, their confidence in vote counting, and their concerns ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The survey of 3,144 registered voters found that while voters continue to rely on local election officials for trustworthy election information, online search engines remain their most common source. Confidence in the vote-counting process remains high, with partisan differences narrowing compared to 2022 and 2024. Although Democrats and Republicans differ in their primary election concerns, both groups expressed concerns about misleading information, particularly AI-generated content, potentially disrupting the elections. [Bipartisan Policy Center]
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